Athlete of the Week: Jay Schulze

Behind his charming smile lies a family man, a soft spot for coun- try, a humble demeanor, and a sentimental traditionalist. And he's a darn good football player, too.

Jay Schulze, SM '03, explains that "there's nothing really amazing about me," yet this statement is clearly untrue; his Yale career alone qualifies Schulze as top-notch. Last weekend against Fordham Schulze ran for a career-high 147 yard., averaging almost five yards a carry, scored three touchdowns, and made one reception for nine yards.

The Fordham game proved an even sweeter moment for Schulze because he had been sidelined for the past two contests with an injury. In the Bulldogs' season opener against Cornell, Schulze suffered a sprained ankle early in the first half. Despite the injury, Schulze is already one of Yale's leading rushers with 171 total yards.

What makes this guy so great on the field? As he put it, he always tries to "run north-south." Since he's a little bigger than a typical running back at 6'0" and 200 lbs., Schulze can simply run over opponents rather than run around them.

Since he started playing football at the age of nine, almost nothing has stopped him. Although he denies he had star status at his public high school in Maryland, research has revealed that he won his team's MVP awards and was a two-time captain. In fact, his occasional mistakes were so shocking that coaches referred to him as "the dumbest smart kid they knew."

This smart kid was certainly happy to come play football and study at Yale; he trashed all Division I recruitment letters he received, hoping to get into the best academic school. Yale snatched him up a mere hour before Harvard called, and Schulze is thrilled to be a Yalie. "Football was started here; Yale has so much tradition," Schulze said. "And we've got the best uniform in the Ivy League."

The entire Schulze family—Jack, Jeannie, Jill, Jenny, and Jay—have all come to love Yale. In fact, members of the bunch can always be seen cheering for Schulze at every Yale football game, including the away games. Ever since the good old days when Jack coached Jenny and Jay's tee-ball team, the Schulze family has been a supportive cheering section; Dad used to sit on the top of a hill just to watch Jay practice in high school.

Jay's fan club extends far beyond his family. Teammate, Zeta Psi brother, and roommate Mark Patterson, DC '03, claims that Jay is simply "studly." He explains that there are many aspects of Jay: "He's a chill dude, a ravioli thief, and a great wingman for lady catching," Patterson said.

Clearly, Schulze has it all. As an economics major, he plans to take practical life skills with him when he leaves Yale— along with an impressive football scorecard. Lucky for the Bulldogs and their fans that he threw away those D-I recruitment forms.

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